as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
the loss of his father's trust was the harshest castigation that the boy could have possibly received for having told the lie
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Recent Examples of castigation
The standoff centered on the now-former assistant attorney general’s public and internal castigation of pediatric gender medicine.
—
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026
His reverence for hip-hop led to a poignant self-reflection on whether his new approach would be the subject of castigation among the hip-hop faithful.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Apart from its castigation of non-fossil energy, the strategy document in some ways departs from the Biden administration more in style than substance.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Links with nonprofit group The recent castigations from progressive Democrats were driven in part by the Opportunity Caucus’s ties to One Main Street.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025
Like legions of dreamers before him, McGuirk started on film and TV sets as a PA, an often thankless job where random castigations from members of the cast or crew can be par for the course.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026
His reverence for hip-hop led to a poignant self-reflection on whether his new approach would be the subject of castigation among the hip-hop faithful.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Apart from its castigation of non-fossil energy, the strategy document in some ways departs from the Biden administration more in style than substance.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Links with nonprofit group The recent castigations from progressive Democrats were driven in part by the Opportunity Caucus’s ties to One Main Street.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025
Like legions of dreamers before him, McGuirk started on film and TV sets as a PA, an often thankless job where random castigations from members of the cast or crew can be par for the course.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigation
Noun
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But the message did not say what happened or if any students faced punishment .—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
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Georgia lawmakers have approved a bill creating more legal punishments for protesters and others who obstruct the state's streets and highways.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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My refusal to accept his drinking has led him to cast his wrath upon me on occasion.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
31 Mar. 2026
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Mullin will also face congressional Democrats’ wrath as lawmakers on Capitol Hill have already begun to investigate DHS for the massive contracts to individuals and companies that were inexperienced, had connections to Noem’s staff, or contained other irregularities.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The city agreed, reducing maximum e-bike speeds to 15 mph on city trails, prohibiting e-bikes on sidewalks and imposing penalties.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Jackets took another penalty with 41 seconds left and the B’s tied it with 11 seconds left in regulation.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Castigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigation. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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